I run the ST Maxx on my Suburban, I'm very pleased both on and off road, minimal road noise, handled good in rain, snow and ice, happy with them while hauling a trailer, off road they have performed well in mud and rocks, got myself in a tight spot where I was sure I was going to get stuck, yet they gripped and I got out with no problem
Cooper ST Maxx vs BFG AT KO2
- Thread starter cr500taco
- Start date
I run the KO2s on my 08 H3 (285/75/16)and my 12 F150 FX4 (305/55/20) and love them. We just went through our first "real" winter in a while here in eastern Nebraska and I have to say the KO2s did better than the old KOs. IDK if it's the extra siping or what - obviously there's some new tweaks to the new KO2 tires and they performed great. Heavy wet snow and ice not a problem - as long as you drove with common sense. Light powdery snow - again no problem. Over the past almost year of having these tires I've been very happy - rain not an issue, road noise minimal and as a DD I've had no surprises and the ride has been smooth. I'm def happy with my investment.
Ive never had the Coopers but like what I've heard. I think like anything everyone obviously has an opinion and there's always someone with a negative story.
Either tire would be a great choice. It always boils down to what you want and what you really need. Too bad there isn't a way to get tires and have the ability to return them if you decided nah not these. It's an expensive "test" when you buy tires. Before buying my tires last year I not only researched on line but I went to 3 different local tire shops to look at the different tires and to ask the sales guy opinions. Obviously it seems some places will push certain tires over others for profit. But by doing all of this I feel I picked the best tire for my needs.
Done with my babbling soap box. I love the KO2s but I'm sure either tire would work depending on your needs.
Ive never had the Coopers but like what I've heard. I think like anything everyone obviously has an opinion and there's always someone with a negative story.
Either tire would be a great choice. It always boils down to what you want and what you really need. Too bad there isn't a way to get tires and have the ability to return them if you decided nah not these. It's an expensive "test" when you buy tires. Before buying my tires last year I not only researched on line but I went to 3 different local tire shops to look at the different tires and to ask the sales guy opinions. Obviously it seems some places will push certain tires over others for profit. But by doing all of this I feel I picked the best tire for my needs.
Done with my babbling soap box. I love the KO2s but I'm sure either tire would work depending on your needs.
97LXAZ
New member
Reviving a slightly older thread, I'm looking at these exact options for our '06 LX470. These are about the only options I have for the size I want, 305/65/17. Mostly a daily driver with road trips to light offroading in Utah and CO planned. I'm gathering either would be a great choice, but which of the two would wear better with mostly highway/daily driving?
p nut
butter
Ko2 would have better on-road manners. Plus they balance better and ride quieter. ST Maxx are good as well, but I'd go for ko2's in this instance.
I have had AT3 on two vehicles. I think there is a reason they do not have the mountain snowflake symbol and are called AT3 and not AT4. They are terrible in snow and ice. I plow in the winter and had them on my plow truck this winter and will not plow with them again. I also put them on our Suburban and that resulted in my wife flipping the Suburban. This lead to us buying a 2015 JK unlimited that had KO2s on it during our Blizzard. Can't say enough good things about the KO2 yes 39 inches of snow will stop forward progress but I could always back up and hit it again. Duratracs or KO2s will be on my plow truck next year.
yonah
Calling-in from west of the Rockies
I'm going to revive this thread again as the info here seems to be honest with some quality input.
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I am in the market for tires. I currently have the first gen BFG ATs on my Tacoma (the truck is heavy like a lot of our rigs due to armor, camper shell, drawers, etc...). I've got slightly more than 70k on the BFG AT KOs, and they still have 1/4" of tread left - I'm impressed as hell with their endurance as well as my 17mpg average fuel economy. That being said, they're on their last leg and need to be swapped out before my trip to Moab (White Rim Road and the like) in early May.
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My initial thought is to go with the KO2 as it seems to be a total improvement over the KO - which I can't complain about. The saying "If it ain't broke, don't fix it" comes to mind here.
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However, the ST Maxx has been on my radar for a couple years now. Lots and lots of positive reviews - especially from the Toyota (specifically Tacoma) crowd. If the MPGs and lifespan are similar (in comparison with the KO2), then I think the Maxx is the preferred choice for the weekend warrior trips that I make into Gila NF and the rocky/sandy/rutted BLM land around here.
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I have three questions:
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1) To the KO2 owners out there, how many miles have you got out of your tires? Are they wearing evenly? I have to mention again how impressed I am with the lifespan of my KOs and would like to replicate the experience.
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2) To the ST Maxx owners, same question - how are they wearing? And if you've had them for awhile, how many miles have you got out of the Maxxs? If you have a modestly built Tacoma or Frontier, I would be very interested in your long term feedback regarding the tire's lifespan.
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3) EDIT: The weight of both tires in the 265/75r16 size is 54 lbs - info found on BFG and Cooper Tire official websites.
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I am in the market for tires. I currently have the first gen BFG ATs on my Tacoma (the truck is heavy like a lot of our rigs due to armor, camper shell, drawers, etc...). I've got slightly more than 70k on the BFG AT KOs, and they still have 1/4" of tread left - I'm impressed as hell with their endurance as well as my 17mpg average fuel economy. That being said, they're on their last leg and need to be swapped out before my trip to Moab (White Rim Road and the like) in early May.
-
My initial thought is to go with the KO2 as it seems to be a total improvement over the KO - which I can't complain about. The saying "If it ain't broke, don't fix it" comes to mind here.
-
However, the ST Maxx has been on my radar for a couple years now. Lots and lots of positive reviews - especially from the Toyota (specifically Tacoma) crowd. If the MPGs and lifespan are similar (in comparison with the KO2), then I think the Maxx is the preferred choice for the weekend warrior trips that I make into Gila NF and the rocky/sandy/rutted BLM land around here.
---
I have three questions:
-
1) To the KO2 owners out there, how many miles have you got out of your tires? Are they wearing evenly? I have to mention again how impressed I am with the lifespan of my KOs and would like to replicate the experience.
-
2) To the ST Maxx owners, same question - how are they wearing? And if you've had them for awhile, how many miles have you got out of the Maxxs? If you have a modestly built Tacoma or Frontier, I would be very interested in your long term feedback regarding the tire's lifespan.
-
3) EDIT: The weight of both tires in the 265/75r16 size is 54 lbs - info found on BFG and Cooper Tire official websites.
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SilicaRich
Wandering Inverted
FYI: I ran KOs a while back and now run ST Maxxs (Obese Jeep TJ Rubicon)
Q1: No personal experience with KO2s but have heard very mixed reviews dealing with tread life. Having run the KOs in the past, I thought they were an excellent tire and had great tread life (probably could have gotten close to 60k miles out of mine). I've heard that the KO2s have a softer compound than their predecessors, one of the reasons I snubbed these in favor of ST Maxxs.
Q2: I've put about 2000 or so miles on my ST Maxxs (Load C) so I don't have much for longterm results but they still look brand new if that means anything. Wear wise, a lot of people seem to get 50k out of these tires at bare minimum with a few guys (the Tacoma/Frontier guys you are looking for) capable of getting close to 60k if they chose to run the tread to nothing. The thing I've read about ST Maxxs that you need to be on top of is tire rotation at around every 3000 miles. Otherwise they develop uneven wear which is no fun. If you look around on the ST Maxx thread in this same thread section you can find a lot of great info on these tires, especially from those that have had longterm experiences with them.
OutOfBounds
Adventurer
I've been running ST Maxx tires on my 2005 Tundra double cab for about 4000kms now. I'm very impressed with their handling both on and off road. One thing I do notice though is they like to follow grooves in the road more than other tires I've driven. I also needed an alignment after having them installed, but that could be unrelated to the tires themselves.
I do about 75% pavement these days, but really appreciate the added grip as soon as I hit gravel. If these tires wear well, I see no reason why I'd buy something else next time.
I do about 75% pavement these days, but really appreciate the added grip as soon as I hit gravel. If these tires wear well, I see no reason why I'd buy something else next time.
txflyyaker
Observer
I have a 2015 Ram 2500 CTD and run the ST Maxx 285/75/17. My experience has been great. I have 32k miles on them.
WyoCherokee
Adventurer
Q1: Ran them on my cherokee at reccomended pressures. Load range C, got maybe 35k out of them.
Q2: Ran them on the same cherokee. got 55k miles out of them and had 1/4 tread left(load range E). Also ran them on my 7200 lb diesel. got 50k out of them, same load rating(E) Wore great. Only chipping i ever got was on nasty scoria roads(that will eat any tire). Currently running them on my diesel, and am about 30k miles in to the set and just under half life.